The present invention relates to a head gear for use in hazardous environments, and more particularly, to a safety helmet and face mask interface.
In hazardous environments, such as are encountered by firefighters, protection is needed not only from head impacts, but also from breathing hazards such as smoke and noxious fumes. In order to be protected from both hazards, it is necessary to wear a breathing mask, which is part of a self-contained breathing apparatus ("SCBA") system in combination with a safety helmet. With conventional equipment, in order to wear both a helmet and an SCBA mask, the wearer must first put the support strap webbing for the face mask over his head, properly position the mask against his face to seat it, and then adjust the straps for an air-tight fit. Next, the wearer dons his safety helmet, and by doing so, covers the mask webbing with the suspension webbing of support straps for the safety helmet. Consequently, with this arrangement two separate strap assemblies cover the wearer's head, which may be uncomfortable for the wearer. Further, with this arrangement the face mask cannot be removed without first removing the helmet. This can be tedious and potentially hazardous, in that the face mask may need to be removed while the wearer is still in a hazardous environment and exposed to a risk of head injury.
Accordingly, there is a need for a safety helmet and face mask system which eliminates the need for overlapping layers of webbing, and which provides for easy removal of the face mask without the inconvenience of also having to remove the helmet.